Incredible colourised WW2 images reveal brave soldiers’ hell during brutal Battle of the Bulge

The Sun (UK) ^ | 15th December 2018 | Aletha Adu

[Leaning Right]

THESE incredible colourised World War Two photographs reveal the brutal hell soldiers endured during the Battle of Bulge.

This war was the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front during the war.

[Big Red Badger]

IIRC,
“Band of Brothers”
showed that
Same scene.

Unbelievable and Horrific.

[laplata]

You’re absolutely right. The Battle of the Hurtgen Forest was actually unnecessary and it’s disgraceful and immoral what they put our troops through.

[Mears]

“Band of Brothers” was one of the best WWII shows——ever.

I actually listen to the theme music often.

A superior production IMHO.

.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Leaning Right. Nearing his end, Hitler conjured up 26 divisions as if from thin air, allied field intel indicating the buildup was ignored (except by Patton), and the supposed superiority of the German armor turned into a liability, as they had to move on a more limited number of roads. Small, widely dispersed allied (mostly US) units dug in at crossroads across the countryside and slowed or stopped the advances as forces were shifted for counterattacks and flanking. It was a long throw, unlikely to succeed, and wound up further shortening the war by depleting remaining German reserves. Even if it had succeeded it couldn't have been sustained, and wouldn't have accomplished the objective.

[AFreeBird]

The first picture showing Germans - the one in the foreground with his back to the camera: Is he carrying an M1 carbine? Just the barrel and front sight give me that impression.

[Alberta's Child]

In retrospect that was the height of arrogance for the U.S.

What are we planning to do when the Muslims take over America and force us to sift through the dumpsters behind all the abortion clinics across the country?

[USS Alaska]

My Uncle Jim C. an immigrant from Italy, {he was proud to be an American citizen} was a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne, and jumped {or was pushed} into the Battle of the Bulge.

I talked with him for over 50+ years, and he would never utter a single word about the War.

If anyone would ax him about the 'Battle' he would give such a look, that no further questions would be axed.

While I was in the Army, and home on leave {1959}, he said to me, "I hope you never have to see what I saw". That was it, not one more word, but he did cry.

And then, so did I.

I was then sent to Schweinfurt, Germany by the Army and I visited Bastogne and I cried...again.

Until people visit battle fields, whether in Europen cities, or Gettysburg, PA or Boston, MA. or New Orleans, LA. they will never 'feel' what was sacrificed by our brave patriots.

I did, and I cry, not for the patriots they gave their lives, but for the waste and disrespect that we are heaping on them for the corrupt ways...we have chosen.

Makes me puke.

[null and void]

Did the M-8 crew get medals? If not why not??

[kiryandil]

Lyle Bouck and the Battle of Lanzerath Ridge [December 16–17, 1944].

Lyle Bouck passed away age 92 in December, 2016 - two years ago. He and his men were brave fellows.

[null and void]

Sometimes wonder if the Marines sweltering on Peleliu, Iwo Jima, etc. would have preferred to be chilling in European winter, or vice versa with the Bulge army?

IIRC, Dante described one of the circles of Hell as being divided into a bitterly cold part and a broilingly hot part, and the inhabitants spent their time going from one to the other and back again.

But then again, Sherman did say, "War is Hell"...

[kiryandil]

“The Damned Engineers” an epithet given to the 291st by Joachim Peiper.

[FrdmLvr]

Since abortion was not legal in 1945, we could rightfully claim the high moral ground at that time. Certainly higher than Germany. And, maybe that’s not a bad idea, parading the people who permit abortion through abortion mills and dumpsters, although many of the body parts are sold and not disposed of.

[DuncanWaring]

A recurring theme in stories of that battle is that it was exceedingly cold.

Does anyone know how cold? Daytime highs/overnight lows?

[central_va]

An abandoned perfectly good looking panzer = blown transmission.

[beef]

Back then you were just supposed to buck up and get on with things. My dad was in the European theater. Very rarely did he speak of it. When he did, he commented on stuff like how fast the ME 262 was, how amazing the autobahns were, and that they could find sausage and bacon hanging in the attics of farmhouses. Once he talked about an encounter with a German armored vehicle (he drove a half-track) where they just drove past each other because both sides knew that if they started shooting they were all dead. When they got to Austria, he had a horse he traded to a bunch of Russians for an Opel. For a long time after that, he had a thing for Opels. That must have been a highlight of his tour.

[dfwgator]

College-aged men who left their “Safe Space”.

[dfwgator]

“How do I feel about being rescued by Patton? Well I’d feel pretty peachy, except for one thing. We didn’t need to be f***in’ rescued by Patton! Got that?”

Now that’s a badass!

[T. Rustin Noone]

Thank you for this post.

My Dad was a Master Sergeant with the 7th Armored (one of the pics). I can hardly imagine what today’s generation would be able to achieve in similar circumstances.

[yarddog]

I think he was a very ungrateful jackass.

They definitely did need to be rescued by Patton.

[The Westerner]

OMG you’re right! It was my own father’s first march into battle with Patton’s Third Army. He almost lost his toes from frostbite. Most of his troop ended up shell shocked after their first battle on Christmas eve against the well fortified Germans holed up in a Belgian town.

RIP